Organized Theft Crews Targeting Honda Civics in Chicago
Chicago police have issued their third warning in a month as organized theft crews continue to rip airbags from Honda Civics across the city’s neighborhoods, leaving car owners with broken windows, missing equipment, and months-long waits for repairs.
CPD says at least two separate crews are operating in the city, striking neighborhoods from Hyde Park to Bucktown and the Near West Side. The thieves can remove a steering wheel airbag in as little as 20 seconds, then sell the devices online for hundreds of dollars each.
Between January 5 and January 15, one crew targeted Honda Civics in the 5100 and 5300 blocks of South Dorchester Avenue and South Shore Drive in Hyde Park, according to a Chicago Police Department community alert issued over the weekend. In each incident, suspects broke vehicle windows and removed steering wheel airbags, police said.
A second crew, which may be driving a red Ford F-150 pickup truck, has struck repeatedly in Near West Side neighborhoods, according to a second CPD alert. The group first hit on December 21 and 22 in the 800 block of West 16th Street, the 900 block of West 18th Street, and the 2200 block of West McLean Avenue, police said. This month, they returned to strike the 2000 block of West Armitage Avenue on January 14 and 15, and the 2300 block of West Flournoy Avenue between January 15 and 17, according to a CPD alert issued Monday night.
The local incidents mirror a national trend that began to take root a couple of years ago. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that approximately 50,000 airbags are stolen annually nationwide, driven by a significant price gap between legitimate and black market parts.
Factory replacement airbags typically cost around $1,000, according to the insurance bureau, while stolen airbags sell for a fraction of that price on the black market. A search of Facebook Marketplace on Sunday morning found dozens of Honda airbags being offered for sale in the Chicago area, with prices ranging from $120 to $400 apiece. There is no way to determine whether those listings represent legitimate or stolen merchandise.
Honda vehicles have become consistent targets because of the brand’s popularity, which creates higher demand for parts in both legitimate and illegal markets, according to law enforcement reports and auto body shops.
The theft surge is creating a cascade of problems for victims. A backlog in orders for legitimate replacement parts is causing lengthy delays that often stretch into weeks or months, according to auto body shops. The delays have pushed some frustrated owners to turn to the same black market economy that victimized them in the first place, industry sources say.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau warns that some unscrupulous auto repair shops are installing stolen black market airbags while billing factory replacement prices.
What can Civic owners do to minimize the risks? Parking in well-lit areas and using club-style steering wheel locks may offer some deterrence, but even those steps provide limited protection against determined thieves who can complete the theft in seconds.
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